As a dad, spending quality time with your kids can sometimes be quite challenging. Before having kids, you must have thought that you would instantly have a good and close relationship but that’s not always the case.
At times, we spend the majority of our hours into working towards our children’s future. You work long hours to be ble to provide for their needs so that they will end up as the kind of adults you want them to be ⏤ to be better students, to be more organized and trustworthy, etc.
But we forget the basic thing to have with them: grow a good connection and relationship. If you feel that you lack within that area, don’t worry because a bond between a parent and a child can be mended and made stronger with habits that you can easily do everyday.
Respect each other
Kids are not perfect and they will often make mistakes. Refrain from raising your voice or making them feel embarrassed when they mess up. Even if they did something that will require you to discipline them, do it in a calming manner.
Talk to them and explain why you’re upset. Using punishment has been shown to be less effective. There is also a possibility that they would grown to resent you if they don’t fully understand why you’re mad at what they did. Treating them with respect will make your home more peaceful and less chaotic. It will also bring you closer together since you’re teaching them how to communicate maturely and own up to their mistakes.
Learn to engage to their needs
Men are known to most likely communicate affection through actions and not words. They tend to show their support through planning a trip or helping around the house. You can do all these as a way of engaging to your children’s needs as a father.
If you are used to actions rather than verbal communication, show them that you care and that you are willing to make effort to meet their needs such as picking them up from the after school care facility, fixing their broken toys, comforting them by having ice cream when they’re feeling down, and other scenarios where they need you as a parent. Making them feel that they can always rely on you will give them a sense of safety, security, and trust.
Ask about their day
Bedtime can be a great way to catch up and talk to your kids about their day. You can ask them about their school, the best part of their day, or if something upset them. Afterwards, you can talk about your day and share a problem and how you solved it or what was the best part of your day too. By doing this, you are letting them see that you value them enough to talk about such things and they will in turn feel closer to you.
Eat together as a family
For some dads, it can be simpler to just forget about family dinners because of work or anything that might occupy them. Even kids have classes and after-school activities that makes families being constantly occupied.
But family meals are a good opportunity for members to bond together and strengthen family ties. Use the chance to be role model and set an example of healthy eating, polite table manners, and even start a conversation where the whole family can engage in. You can review the day, ask about what they did, and plan for the upcoming days.
Play activities together
Some dads might be hesitant to show affection to their kids but a 2020 research review by the University of Cambridge shows that children who had a great father-child physical bonding like tickling, chasing, and playful wrestling made kids have a better social and emotional well-being which concludes that a warm and lighthearted bonding can have a very positive impact on the development of the child.
Set some time to do activities like sports or anything that you and your kids may have in common. You can also engage and participate with what they love to do. Learn to know their hobbies and their interest. Also, you can teach them how to bike, how to play an instrument, or how to dance. Share your knowledge with them and make it a routine to do it with them often.
Make them do chores
Some kids may be glued to their mobile screen, playing video games. Assign them chores throughout the day so they can practice doing responsibilities in the house. Train them to be naturally helpful and be keen on situations that they are needed like helping with meal preparations, assisting you with washing the car, or volunteering to wash the dishes most days. They can boost their confidence since they feel valued that you need them.
Don’t forget to say thank you for their help and appreciate their job. You can also praise them for how well they performed with the chores. When you have extra hours, you can even do it with them as a sort of bonding time.
Making an effort to bond and grow a connection with your child is the most important thing you can do since it will not only affect you and your relationship with them, but it will also contribute to their development. Treating them kindly, respecting them, and making them feel they’re loved will teach them to have healthy relationships as they grow.
